This past weekend we had a wonderful outing with many other
teachers from ECA. We went just outside city limits and hiked to a peak. It was
a gorgeous day for a small hike and we had such a sweet time of fellowship with
others.
Another really exciting aspect of the day was to have the
opportunity to hear from a missionary whom is closely affiliated with the
school. Without ECA, his children would not have the education the parents
desire for their children; nor would the parents be able to invest in their
ministry as they are currently able to do.
Let me share about this ministry and how ECA is interwoven into this
ministry (besides currently teaching a couple of their children).
The family is the Bartel family. The goal of this ministry is to reach the
street children with the love of Christ and provide a way out of the cycle of
darkness that is passed on from one generation to the next… spiritually,
emotionally and physically. The Bartels and their team go into some of the most
dangerous parts of the city, where gangs are very prevalent, drugs and
prostitutes are common, and violence is the norm. They build relationships with the kids and
the parents and share Christ’s love to them. One way they share His love is by
running a safe center for the kids to come play. This place is called the
‘Jungle,’ which we wrote about in our October 30, 2011 blog post (click here to
read that post about the Jungle). Last year, 180 kids came to the Jungle the
night of Halloween. We praise God that so many children were in a safe place
hearing about God’s love for them on such a dark night.
After relationships are built, some of these children are
able to go to an at-risk, alternative school that primarily serves these high risk
kids. Because so many of the kids come
from troubled homes, drugs, abuse, prostitution, etc., the kids struggle with
school, learning, and interacting with each other. ECA has partnered with this
school, providing outreaches with ECA students meeting during the school day
with students to have Bible lessons, games, snacks, and sharing God’s love with
these children of different backgrounds.
Some of the street children are also taken in to be ‘re-
parented’ in a safe living situation. Though the child is off the street, it is
hard to get the street out of the child. This can take a couple years before
the child is at a point where they can handle being moved into a more stable
and loving family home. Sometimes, governmental paperwork is completed for the
child to be adopted, but other times, adoption is not an option.
The last phase of the program is preparing the child for
independent living. Though governmental care stops at age 18, like foster care
in the States, this program continues with the child to make sure that they
have at least a high school degree. Sometimes a child will be 22 before they
are able to get a high school degree due to being so far behind in their
schooling.
This program has had many success stories, for God’s glory,
where children have moved on from the program, doing well on their own and are
living out God’s love. Some of those children have become missionaries to other
countries, many are giving back to help kids here in Colombia. Not all the children
that go through the program are able to break from the curses and grips of sin.
But even then, we know and trust that God has His hand in everything and He will
be glorified in the end.
It is wonderful to hear how God is using the
Bartel family to bring light to some of the darkest places of this city. To God
be the glory.
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